Private, public, and commercial automotive vehicles of all types—delivery trucks, semi-truck trailers, tractor-trailers, buses, recreational vehicles, construction equipment, etc.—are all expensive to operate and maintain, especially in the difficult contemporary economic conditions. Regular mechanical maintenance costs, fuel costs, permits, licensing, etc., make the owning and operation of such vehicles an expensive proposition. One of the driving conditions that causes considerable wear on the vehicle occurs during the ascent of the vehicle up a steep slope, grade, hill or incline of the descent of the vehicle down the steep slope, grade, hill or incline. Such conditions occur when the vehicle is traversing, for example, mountainous terrain. When ascending the slope extra power must be expended in pulling the vehicle up the ascent while, on the other hand, during the descent the operator must continually apply the brakes (or brake), thereby resulting in increased wear and fatigue on the entire braking system. Thus, it would be desirable to conceive of a device or apparatus that assists in the ascent and descent of the vehicle thereby saving maintenance and fuel costs and also reducing the strain and fatigue to the vehicle's mechanical systems, primarily the braking system.
For example, the Hattori et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,713 B1) discloses an electromagnetic force motor and also a method of manufacturing the force motor.
The Chen patent (U.S. patent no. 2003/0201692 A1) discloses a magnet motor device that includes a power perpetual magnet for generating repelling torque and which can be coupled to the driven motor of a bicycle, motorcycle, or car.
The Pal patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,696 B2) discloses a two-wheeled electric vehicle with a ring like, large, powered parallel wheels with at least one of the ring like wheels being driven by a large toroidal electric motor.
The Pal patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,284,628 B2) discloses a vehicle with a zero turning radius employing a minimum of two generally parallel matching annular wheels mounted with independent pneumatic toroidal suspensions fixed coaxially on a chassis.
The Wilt, Jr. et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,291,944 B2) discloses an electromagnetic-engine that includes an inner motor and an outer motor with both motors having magnets of opposite polarity mounted thereon.
Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains a need for a power axle that can be factory installed or retrofitted to floating axle of a commercial vehicle such as semi-truck trailer.